Improvement in health-lifts



W. B. BLAKE.

HEALTH-LIFT.

Patented May 23,1876.

-' 8.3. mmi/ NPEI'ERS. PIIUTD LITHOGHAPNEH, WASHINGTON, D. C, I

UNITED STATES Canton,

PA'IEN'I' Orrron.

0 WILLIAM B. BLAKE, on CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or TWO-THIRDS HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE DQSAXTON AND ZEBULON DAVIS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HEALTH-LIFTS.I

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,794, dated May 23, 1876; application filed March 22, 18 76.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. BLAKE, of county of Stark, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Health-Lifts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference. being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification,

in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the im proved health-lift; Fig. 2 is abottom view of the sameyand Fig. 3 represents a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through one of the tubular standards.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts Wherever used.

The invention consists, first, in a novel arrangement of springs inclosed within guiding and registeringtubes or tubular standards secured to the sides or ends of the base-plates; second, in the combination, with the inclosed springs, of threaded tubular rods provided with adjusting-nuts, whereby the resistance or tension of the springs may be regulated to suit the different weights it is desired to lift; third, in a novel arrangementbf registers for independently indicating the power exerted by either side or arm,in connection with adjusting-handles for favoring the weaker side, and with a third register indicating the entire force exerted, whether by one or. both hands; and, lastly, in the manner of connecting the third register .with the mechanism of the side springs, as hereinafter described.

In the accompan yin gdrawings, A represents a base plate or frame, consisting, preferably, of an open casting, of the form substantially as indicated in the drawings; but it may be made of any desired form, and of any suitable material. This base plate or frame is perforated at its ends or sides, and has sockets formed in its upper side or face, surrounding said perforations, for the reception of socketpieces a a, the threaded shanks a of which extend through the baseplate and are secured therein by nuts a The socket-pieces a are made tubular, or provided with sockets in their upper ends, for the reception of the lower-ends of the tubular standards B, rigidly secured therein. The upper ends of these standards have perforated cap-plates 11 secured to them, which serve as guides to reciprocating rods 0 arranged within the tubes B, as shown, and proi'ided at theirlower ends each with an arm or spur, c, which projects through aslot, b, at the inner side of the tube. Surrounding the rod or slide 0, within the tube B and between the arm 0 and the cap-plate b, is a spiral spring, D, the tension of which is exerted to force the rod downward, with the arm a resting at the bottom of the slot 1) upon the socket-piece a. The upper end of the rod 0 is made tubular, and is threaded upon both its outer and inner faces, a nut at d, surrounding the rod and resting on the cap 1), serving by its adjustment to. regulate the tension. of the spring D and the position of the rod 0, as desired. F F are the handles, provided each with a threadedshank, f, which matches the screw-thread formed Within the tubular end of the rod 0, and forms an adjustable extension of said rod, for adjusting the height of handles to suit the operator, or for favoring one side or the other, as the requirements of the operator may dictate. The arms 0 c of the rod 0 have cords 9 connected with them, which extend down through eyes or perforations in the base plate, and underneath grooved guiding-rollers h, mounted in suitable hearings in lugs or ears formed within sockets or recesses in the baseplate, as shown. The open portion of the base plate or frame between the tubular standards B B is covered by a platform, A, and to the lower face of this platform, within the annular base plate or frame, two horizontal pulleys, H H, are mounted on vertical pivots, with their forward faces near about in the same transverse vertical plane with the rollers h, as shown inFig. 2. The cord (or cords) g extends under the pulleys h and in front of the pulleys H H, to which it is secured by a fastening eye or pin, indicated by dotted lines at c, Fig. 2, whence it is deflected between the pulleys H H and passes around a pulley mounted in the rear end of ahorizontal slide rack or bar, J, mounted in suitable guiding-brackets at j j in the base-plate, and upon the lower face of the platform A, as shown. The slide-rack J in front of the bearingj is provided with a pin, 10, which limits its the rack-bar is reciprocated, imparts a rotary motion to a pinion, L, mounted loosely upon a vertical shaft, 1, which has its bearings in a dial-plate. M, attached to the baseplate A. The pinion L has a pin or spur projecting from its lower face, which engages with a horizontal pin in the lower end of the.

F the index m will be vibrated, through the' connecting devices described, for indicating the amount of power so applied, and there left, while the rack and pinion are retracted by the springs 70 and D, leaving the index m to be retracted at the will of the operator, either by hand or by a suitable spring for that purpose controlled or released by the operator. The tubes B B at the sides of the slots 1) have scale-marks formed upon them, and light bands n a surrounding the tubes, and resting on the arms 0 0 for the purpose, are lifted by said arms, and serve to indicate the amount of power applied to each handle, respectively, the friction of the bands, whenever desired, serving to hold them at any point to which they may be raised.- Other suitable forms of indicators may be used in place of the bands 11., if preferred.

The operation of the several parts will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

Having now described my invention, what 7 I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the base-plate A, the tubes or tubular'standards B B, spring D, and lift-rods 0, arranged to'operate within saidtubes, substantially as described.

2. The tubes B B, having the socket-pieces a m in combination with the base-plate A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The liftrods G, provided with the threaded tubular ends, in combination with the nuts d, adjustable extension-rods f, and handles F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a healthrlift, the three registers m n n, (those at the sides indicating which is the stronger side of the person lifting,) in combination with the adjustable lifting-handles, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of the lifting-rods with theindex m, the cord or cords g, sliding rack bar J, and pinion L, all arranged to operate substantially as described.

6. The combination of the rack-bar J, pinion L, index m, spring k, and cord g, substantially asand for thepurpose described.

WM. B. BLAKE.

Witnesses:

A; MCKENLEY, GEo. D. SAXTON. 

